I'm gonna stick my neck waaaaay out there with this statement but I believe that:
FIRST isn't
ONLY about the students.......
There, I said it, now let me explain a little.
I'm here to tell you (especially those who want the adults held to minimal involvement) that we mentors often get "life changing experiences" when we experience the thrill of participating in a positive way with our students on the field. It is an experience I have never been able to justify with words. I've been elected to be a coach every year that out team has been in existence (5 years so far) and every time I go to the field, I fall deeper into my commitment to the values of FIRST. I always used the second coaching position to involve other team mentors and students so that they too can experience the thrill of the "Floor". The sounds, the point of view, the excitement, the thrill of victory, and the aggony of defeat are far more intensive when experience inside those white lines on the carpet. Just ask anyone who's been there.
If FIRST or the FIRST community continually detract from the "payoffs" of this experience, I fear that good folks may leave the program and that would be unfortunate. All of the mentors want to be important in some way at some level. To say they are not welcome or in some in-direct way say that they are not important would jeopardize their involvement. We all have ego's, it's a normal thing.
Once again, This isn't a student robot contest. It's a challenge to inspire students. Do this in whatever way your team chooses but don't write rules to limit the options.
Just my humble opinion.
I'll step off the box now........
